Believe it or not running an online business is quite an intimate endeavor. Whether you sell tangible goods, web design services, or business coaching, your online business’s success rests on your ability to build trust between you and the people you want to buy your stuff.
But let’s back things up a bit. Before you can get people to trust you, people have to find you. And with every Tom, Dick and Harry jumping online to launch businesses that “make money while they sleep” -those poor gullible souls- it’s becoming more and more difficult to get noticed.
What’s worse is that if you’re too busy drinking the social media Kool-Aid, stalking A-listers, and following “the road to Internet riches blueprint”, in all likelihood YOU are one of those poor souls that absolutely no one is paying attention to.
You need lots of things to operate a profitable online business, but “the masses” isn’t one of them.
One BIG reason why so many online businesses struggle to find their ideal customer is that they are too busy trying to appeal to everyone. Ironically, by trying to appeal to everyone, you often appeal to none. It’s only when you stop sucking up to the masses, you can start getting the “right” kind of attention. And once you have the “right” people paying attention to you, then you can start building trust via relationships. And like it or not, relationships make your business go round.
3 Ways To Get Your Online Business Noticed – The Right Way
Assuming you’ve done your marketing homework and you have a clearly communicated competitive advantage, you know your ideal client, and you understand your brand. Here are three simple things that you can do to standout from the monotony plaguing most online businesses.
If You Want Attention Expose Yourself
Relax! This blog is PG-13. There is no nudity here.
My point is that if you’re going to get your ideal customer’s attention, you need to be relatable. Your customer has to feel like they kinda know you. They need to find you kinda interesting.
Believe it or not you and your business are probably pretty darn interesting. You just need to figure out the interesting parts. Once you start to reveal the interesting parts of your business, and yourself, the “right” people will start to relate. These people will become part of what much of social media refers to as “your tribe.” Personally, I prefer crew – a group of persons involved in a particular kind of work – per dictionary.com).
You in my crew? ;)
“Exposing” yourself doesn’t have to be scary. For example, stick around my blog for long and you find that I am very opinionated. If you want my opinion, I’ll gladly give it to you. If you don’t, I’ll give it to you anyway. That personal characteristic might annoy the pooh-pooh out of some people. Fortunately, they will go away and those entertained by my sarcastic yet optimistic opinionated self will actually engage with me. And therein are the beginnings of what may also be known as – wait for it – relationship!
I know this may seem shocking to you, but why don’t you just try having a little fun with your work. Let your hair down. Get naked (virtually). If you are going to put your time, talent and YOURSELF into building your online business, you should at least enjoy it.
If You Want Attention Have a Point of View
If you are walking on eggshells in hopes of making nice with readers – stop it. You have thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the very issues that affect your ideal customer so why not share them?! And while you’re at it, share your solutions to those issues.
Ever heard of Neal Rodriguez? Talk about having a point of view! This guy has a point of view, and he is not afraid to share it. In my opinion, it’s his biggest asset. In fact, to me, he is a bit polarizing. And in some respects, it pays to be polarizing.
I’m not encouraging you create an “us v. them” environment with your online business, but don’t be afraid to draw a line in the sand from where you stand. Your ideal customers will stand with you.
Statistics show that 10% of people are going to dislike you NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. Get over it. When you have a point of view, people are going to disagree with you. But in case you didn’t get my drift already, this can be a good thing!
I’d like to think this goes without saying, but for the sake of clarity I’ll say it. Don’t be a jerk just to be a jerk. If you are going to be a jerk, be a jerk because you really are a jerk. Then, maybe some other jerk will want to buy from you.
Here’s the bottom line. If you don’t have anything to enhance, modify, or pick apart with respect to what is already being said in your industry, you’re boring – especially to the masses.
Come on, sack up! Freakin’ come out of the closet already! Quit hiding the you that makes your brand and your business incredibly unique, worthwhile, and eventually profitable.
If You Want Attention Be Attentive
Stop obsessing about having 30k readers and start focusing on providing value. Focus on sharing ideas, insights, and tools that are going to help your ideal customer meet their goals, their needs, and their desires.
If people trust you, respect you, AND you can meet their needs by providing true value – they are going to buy from you. Start listening to the very people you seek to attract. When you know the needs of your ideal customer you can speak their language. You can see the issues from their perspective. You can become just the resource that they’ve been looking for. Engage in your customer’s communities and WOW them. Solve problems. Provide honest insight. Make lasting connections. THAT will get you lots of attention.
How many loyal clients do you need to support your online business?!
I doubt it’s 30,000.
So what if you don’t attract “the masses”. So what if you irk some folks. The REAL BIG SECRET to getting your online business noticed is to become a leader in whatever it is that you do. Leaders stand out. Leaders pave a way when there appears to be none. Leaders by their very nature have followers.
Be who you really are. Not who you think you should be. Be someone you would want to do business with. And if all else fails read Mars Dorian’s guest post 7 Tips That Will Make Your Blog Stand Out at HowtoMakeMyBlog.com.
That’s a wrap! Now I want to know, what are you doing to set you and your online business apart? How are you getting noticed?
P.S. IF YOU ARE IN MY CREW – or want to be – make sure you download a copy of How To Become A Young, Sassy, & Smart Female Entrepreneur – Online and The 7 Secrets of Success in Online Entrepreneurship for Women. Oh! And if you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up to learn more about the upcoming release of a Girls Guide to a Kick-A$$ Online Biz. If you’re a boy –it’s ok – we won’t tell. 
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Marlee,
Even though I’m catching this a bit late I’m still glad to see it b/c its this is a timeless piece if I ever saw one.
Appealing to the masses may have been something that worked pre-Internet era marketing but definitely not so now. One of my favorite examples of an online business that got it right in this department is Woot!.
They figured out that their audience appreciated an in your face approach to doing business and ohhh…have they delivered! They’ve got to be the most irreverent, in your face online brands in the online retail space and they’re loyal fans love them all the more for it.
On a side note I do think its worth mentioning that online businesses can cater to their audience and keep it real without being cheeky. To that end not sucking up to the masses means putting out content that is so specific to your audience that anyone who falls outside of your audience just wouldn’t get it.
Thanks for a terrific piece.
Benin5 Proven Online Money Makers
Hey Benin,
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
I think you’re spot on with your insights. I also like how you say that
“not sucking up to the masses means putting out content that is so
specific to your audience that anyone who falls outside of your audience just wouldn’t get it.”
That is an interest take on targeting your market, and although extreme, I think
it’s probably a very helpful way to look at things. Basically, you need to communicate
to your target market that resonates specifically with them, you need to get their
issues, speak their language, and walk in their shoes.
Great point. Thanks for swinging by!
No problem Marlee. Actually, its my pleasure. Happy to have found your online abode. Its always rewarding to find spot on content such as this post.
This post reminds me that at the end of the day its all about adding value. And there’s no value in a voice that isn’t authentic and original.
Benin5 Proven Online Money Makers
There’s a lot of truth here. Just talking about my blog and not my business here, but in the beginning, I wrote about what I wanted to write about. The growth was slow, but loyal, and it really did feel good. I bought into the ridiculousness and started writing this way and that way to “attract” readers and such, and I guess you could say that it worked. But then it’s like, “Okay now what.” I found myself constantly debating – do I write what I want or write what I think everyone else wants? I will not be a slave to readership. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.
Truthfully, I think my blog has lost some of its helpfulness, because in all of the attraction, I ended up attracting a lot of readers who don’t need help, actually. They are vocal, but not particularly in need of what I originally set out to do. It’s a really tough place and difficult to back out of.
I’ve been considering writing something along this topic and I’ll be sure to link back here.
Tia3 Ways to Bring Power to Your Blog
Hey Tia!
Your blog definitely has not lost any of its helpfulness – not in the least. But I completely understand what you mean about writing for attraction vs. your true topic. It’s difficult not to be lured into the satisfaction having readers (no matter who they might be) can bring you.
I have a similar struggle because a lot of times the people we seek to help don’t even know how to find us. I do know, however, that persistence pays and that if you continuously sow the seeds of your message in all that you publish, they will find you eventually. I’ve seen it happen many times!
Who dat trynna get up in my crew?? Remember that song? Anyone..?
…must be just me. Oh well.
Anyway, my next post will be named “So I hear 10% of you out there don’t like me?? BASTARDS.” I suspect that will generate lost of readership.
Sometimes I see some of these bloggers desperately sucking up begging for links & attention. Not only do they not get the attention of the big guys, I’M sure as hell not trying to befriend them, either.
So Marlee is there an official “crew” list? How do I know if I’m in your crew? Everybody should strike a b-boy pose and send it in, then you can Photoshop them into the shot. As new people are added you just keep on putting them in. If anyone quits or defects we’ll just put that red ghostbusters sign over them and pour out a lil’ liquor…
Oh yeah, who are the opposing crews? We might have arch-enemies out there vying for blog-supremacy!
We gotta have a World Wide Blog-Off competition. I have no idea what this would entail but a crew has to stand for something, dammit!
John GarrettConsidering the PopUp Domination plugin
JG!
I love your comment. You are too funny! And, I do remember that song! I sang right along with you.
I’m all for b-boy poses. In fact, I would do just as you said and make it my twitter background.
That would be awesome!
World Wide Blog-Off?!?! I think you are on to something. It’s the WWBOF. The F is for federation.
Okay, now my mind is running away with itself…this could be fun! :p
Marlee, I’ve had this post open in a browser tab for a full day now, waiting till I had enough time to give it the attention I knew it deserved (really, go check your stats for this page! I bet the average time spent is waaaaay on up there).
Awesome post! I loved the “drinking the social media Kool-Aid” bit!
I also love how you said, “If You Want Attention Be Attentive.” Very well said!
I couldn’t agree with you more about being not sucking up to the masses. People forget one very important rule when they do that: you need a niche. Part of having a niche includes having a target audience. When you write for everyone, you erode the walls of your niche and your target audience comes spilling out.
Thanks for a great post and for @mentioning me so that I could read it. Feel free to do so any time!
PS, I’m planning on joining 3T very soon. And I still have your affiliate ad in mind
Tristan8 Keys That Gave Me a Thriving- Popular Blog in a Month
Thank you for taking the time to read it Tristan! Your insights are always appreciated.
So glad you’re considering 3T. I believe you find tremendous value out of it, even if you only
partake for a period of time. Although, not recommended, just having a chance to interact
with the people in there and learn from some of the best in the industry is invaluable!
You know this is a brilliant post – I absolutely agree with you. There’s a lot of confusion out there and it’s mainly down to this – not being clear on what your end-goal.
Get clear on your end-goal and you won’t need to follow anyone else, the solutions will come naturally and the universe will conspire to give you what you need to succeed!
@clementyeungThe 6-Step Formula to Achieving Anything You Want
Thanks Clement!
Good to see you here!
And, you are absolutely right. You have to begin with the end in mind.
Not having it all figured out is okay, but you have to know where you’re headed!
Amen to that!
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